Adam Matan OBE ( Somali Adan Mataan) ( Arabic: آدم متان) is a Somali-British civil society leader and social activist. [1] He is the former Director of the Anti-Tribalism Movement, a non-profit organisation established in 2010 to combat tribalism and inequality amongst the British-Somali community. [2] In 2019, he became the first British-Somali to be appointed an OBE for "services to the Somali community in the UK and wider British-Somali relations". [3]
Matan came to the United-Kingdom as a teenager following the Somali Civil War. [4] He lives in London and holds a PgDip in Law and Leadership from SOAS University of London [5] and an LLM in International Minority Rights Law from Middlesex University.
Matan was the director of Anti-Tribalism Movement for over 10 years —a charity established in 2010 in the United Kingdom to combat tribalism within the Somali community following the Somali Civil War. [6] He is a former One Young World Ambassador [7] and has advised the British government about the Somali community. [8] He has participated in a number of high-level engagements connecting the British and Somali government [9] such as the London-Somali Conference 2012 and 2017. [10] He participated in a successful UK-wide campaign to save vital remittances in 2017. [11] [12] [13] He also serves as Trustee on two charitable boards ( Hammersmith United Charities [14] [15] and Trust for London) as well as chairing the Independent Policing and Crime Commission for Hammersmith and Fulham which published an independent-resident led report in 2020 assessing crime in the borough. [16] [17] [18]
Matan has been invited to speak at a number of events with think-tanks such as Chatham House, [19] [20] Global Youth Summit, [21] Ministry of Women, Human Rights and Development Conference [22] [23] and many others. [24] He featured in a documentary called Return to Somalia - documenting a trip back to Somalia along with Abdifatah Faisal. [25] [26] In addition to this, he was featured in the South Acton Heritage film (2014). [27] He has published reviews for media houses such as African Arguments. [28] Matan was also an anti-corruption panellist at the 3rd National Somali Economic Policy Forum 2019. [29] [30]
Matan was featured in the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2019 for 'services to the Somali community in the U.K and wider- UK-Somalia relations'. [31] [32] [33] [34] and presented with the OBE medal at an investiture overseen by the HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on 28 March 2019. He is the first British-Somali to be honoured with an OBE award.
He was winner of the Community Champion Award at Pride of Our People 2014. [35]
Adam Matan OBE ( Somali Adan Mataan) ( Arabic: آدم متان) is a Somali-British civil society leader and social activist. [1] He is the former Director of the Anti-Tribalism Movement, a non-profit organisation established in 2010 to combat tribalism and inequality amongst the British-Somali community. [2] In 2019, he became the first British-Somali to be appointed an OBE for "services to the Somali community in the UK and wider British-Somali relations". [3]
Matan came to the United-Kingdom as a teenager following the Somali Civil War. [4] He lives in London and holds a PgDip in Law and Leadership from SOAS University of London [5] and an LLM in International Minority Rights Law from Middlesex University.
Matan was the director of Anti-Tribalism Movement for over 10 years —a charity established in 2010 in the United Kingdom to combat tribalism within the Somali community following the Somali Civil War. [6] He is a former One Young World Ambassador [7] and has advised the British government about the Somali community. [8] He has participated in a number of high-level engagements connecting the British and Somali government [9] such as the London-Somali Conference 2012 and 2017. [10] He participated in a successful UK-wide campaign to save vital remittances in 2017. [11] [12] [13] He also serves as Trustee on two charitable boards ( Hammersmith United Charities [14] [15] and Trust for London) as well as chairing the Independent Policing and Crime Commission for Hammersmith and Fulham which published an independent-resident led report in 2020 assessing crime in the borough. [16] [17] [18]
Matan has been invited to speak at a number of events with think-tanks such as Chatham House, [19] [20] Global Youth Summit, [21] Ministry of Women, Human Rights and Development Conference [22] [23] and many others. [24] He featured in a documentary called Return to Somalia - documenting a trip back to Somalia along with Abdifatah Faisal. [25] [26] In addition to this, he was featured in the South Acton Heritage film (2014). [27] He has published reviews for media houses such as African Arguments. [28] Matan was also an anti-corruption panellist at the 3rd National Somali Economic Policy Forum 2019. [29] [30]
Matan was featured in the Queen's New Year's Honours List 2019 for 'services to the Somali community in the U.K and wider- UK-Somalia relations'. [31] [32] [33] [34] and presented with the OBE medal at an investiture overseen by the HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on 28 March 2019. He is the first British-Somali to be honoured with an OBE award.
He was winner of the Community Champion Award at Pride of Our People 2014. [35]